Nashville songwriter James Dean Hicks was inspired to write the Randy Travis hit “The Hole” (with Skip Ewing) while listening to the radio — but there wasn’t any music playing.

He was tuned in to financial radio host Dave Ramsey, who was talking about debt with a tried-and-true metaphor. After Hicks put that metaphor to music, it embarked on a unique journey, from Travis to the film “Deep Impact” to the halls of Congress. Hicks talked about “The Hole” with Bart Herbison, executive director of Nashville Songwriters Association International.